1. Technical Field
This invention relates to measuring instruments, and more particularly to instruments for determining dimensions for cutting tiles.
2. Background Information
Throughout this application, various publications, patents and published patent applications are referred to by an identifying citation. The disclosures of the publications, patents and published patent applications referenced in this application are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.
When installing floor tiles, it is sometimes necessary to install a tile in an irregularly shaped area with an obstruction. A tile installer will typically mark out dimensions for cutting a tile to fit in the area. To determine the cutting dimensions, the installer may use a tape measure to make multiple length measurements of the area. A drawback to using measuring instruments such as tape measures, is that only one dimension is measured, such as length, without the context of a second dimension, such as the location of the length dimension in reference to the width of the area. Accurate measurements may therefore be difficult to make. As a result, tile installers typically cut an initial template tile for filling the area, and repeatedly refine the template until it fits in the area. This approach is time consuming and inefficient for professionals, and beyond the skill level of many amateur tile installers such as home owners.
Woodworking gauges, such as those used by carpenters for tracing contours of objects such as walls and moldings, may not be suitable for use in tile installation. The woodworking gauges tend to be relatively small, typically less than twelve inches, with rigid rods held in friction fit. The woodworking gauge is not designed to be anchored on a floor for making dimensional measurements of an area adjacent to the object. Instead, the woodworking gauges are designed to be pushed towards an object, so that the rods are forced into the contour of the object.
Therefore, a need exists for a two dimensional measuring instrument for measuring dimensions for cutting a tile.